Review: Spicy Little Curses

Spicy Little Curses by J.T. Geissinger
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Petra is a reporter and Dax can ink tattoos that can almost come alive. This just had too many things going on for a novella. Too many loose ends and questions at the end.

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Review: A Hope Divided

A Hope Divided by Alyssa Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this.
Marlie is a herbalist; trained by her mother (and her mother's mother, etc). She's a free Black woman; her father is a white plantation owner. There is a twist about Marlie's parentage (it is not a surprise IMO). Her mother sends her to live with her father's family.
Ewan is a Union soldier. He doesn't feel emotion and has used this skill as an interrogator for the Union Army. Marlie and Ewan meet while Ewan is a POW. Ewan escaped and Marlie is able to hide him.
When her home becomes unsafe, they both leave. Marlie used to feel safe and she realizes her acceptance within the family is transactional (I would argue).
I liked the fact this was set in the South. I liked that we could read about the Southern resistance to the Civil War. I think history has glossed over that (and in the South, well, they didn't exist).

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Review: 107 Days

107 Days by Kamala Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is Kamala Harris's point of view of her presidential candidacy.  

I will be starting with a bit of a rant, bear with me (and you've been warned).  When all is said and done, Joe Biden was a good president.  Yes, he did things I hated, things that were okay, things that were good, and things that I loved.  BUT.  His running for re-election tarnishes his record.  When he ran in 2020, he ran as a transitional candidate and I know I'm not the only one who assumed/thought he would be a one term president.  I was so disappointed when he announced he was running for re-election.  There was so much attention (rightfully so) about his age and abilities.  Which is so hypocritical of the media, because now that Trump is in office and is having very similar issues; both mentally AND physically, where is the attention/criticism of main stream media?   

Back on topic.  

I do wonder where we would be had Biden opted to not run and the Democratic party was able to have a "normal" primary season.  Maybe Harris would have been the nominee through that process and maybe not.  But, there still would have been state primaries, debates to decide.

I didn't realize the difficulties she had with Biden's team and the push back on her when she tried to do things.  The pressure to not tarnish his legacy.  It felt that some on Biden's team put his legacy above everything else.  She had pressure to not "dishonor" Biden and yet had to talk about things that he didn't do/should have done.  And the things she would do differently as a result.  There were moments when she was in his shadow.  And moments when she stepped out and stood in her own light.  

I liked the flow of the book; each chapter was a date and told the story of when Biden dropped out to the election's certification in Jan 2025.  Her thought process of picking a VP was enlightening.  The  why she didn't pick certain people (she thought Shapiro wanted to be in the room for every decision, Buttigieg was gay and was the US ready for a Black woman President and a gay VP?).  She got criticism for not going on Joe Rogen's podcast (spoiler alert- she tried and when she was available, he opted to sit down with Trump instead).  

I thought there could have been more self-reflection here.  To be sure, there is some reflection and if she could have a do-over, there are things she would have done differently.  

I will end this with this:

The definition of AUTHORITARIAN from the Merriam-Webster dictionary:

1. of, relating to, or favoring blind submission to authority

2. of, relating to, or favoring a concentration of power in a leader or an elite not constitutionally responsible to the people

This is happening RIGHT NOW in the US.  VOTE in your local election on Tuesday Nov 4th.  VOTE like your life matters, because it DOES.  Let's PROTECT our country.  Let's PROTECT our First Amendment right to SPEECH.  Let's SPEAK UP for the people who can't.  Or won't.  Because at the end of the day, SOMEONE has to or there will not be ANYONE LEFT to speak up for YOU.  Do NOT let OTHERS silence YOUR voice.      

And remember this:  50.19% of the people voted for someone other than Trump.  He continuously talks about a "mandate."  49.81% of the vote SHOULD NOT be a mandate.  

And consider this:  Based on a multitude of articles I've read, Stephen Miller is the person pulling the strings on quite a few things.  Was he the one the people elected?

2026 is a big election year too.  It's Tuesday Nov 3, 2026.  Mark your calendars and VOTE.

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Review: Falling

Falling by Christina Lauren
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Cat broke up with her boyfriend Jake at a Halloween party. He was boring. She meets Brigan (a Fallen and is cursed). She "sees" him for himself and doesn't obsess over him. This had insta-love, was rushed, and the ending was blah (abrupt).

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Review: A Duke Changes Everything

A Duke Changes Everything by Christy Carlyle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Nick is the hated 2nd son of the late duke and inherits the title after his brother's death. He has a lot of baggage. His father was abusive and scarred his face. Nick also had 2 different colored eyes. Nick was able to escape his father and is now a self-made man. Mina has always known Enderley (the estate) and village and took over as the estate steward when her father died.
Nick visits to set things in order to rent the place out (since he can't sell it). Enderley is in disrepair. Things change once he gets to know Mina and converse with her.
I found this easy to put down and pick up later. The writing was fine, the characters too. (This was a decent HR, but nothing really stood out).


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Review: Miss Austen

Miss Austen by Gill Hornby
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the (fictional) story of Jane Austen's letters to a close friend where she confided details (good and bad) of her life. Jane's sister Cassandra, wants to protect her sister's memory/reputation and invites herself for a visit to Isabel (her mother was the friend and was also the sister to Cassandra's deceased fiance). While there she looks for the letters and helps pack/sort out Isabel's placement (to be a single, unmarried woman, the horror!).
This had a slow start, but did pick up.

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Review: If You Don't Like This, I Will Die: An Influencer Memoir

If You Don't Like This, I Will Die: An Influencer Memoir by Lee Tilghman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Author was one of the first "influencers" on social media. An "influencer" is a common dream that many aspire to. I thought this showed that it's not easy and you have to be "on" pretty much all the time. There is pressure to look a certain way, be perfect. If not, the criticism is harsh.
This did lose me because I expected more reflection/thoughts on the harms of wellness influencing (and influencing general as well). She contributed to the misinformation and I don't think there was much of an acknowledgement of that.

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Review: Hot for Slayer

Hot for Slayer by Ali Hazelwood
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Aethelthryth or Ethel (as she is now known) is a vampire and throughout the years has had run-ins with Lazlo, a vampire hunter. However, he may not be the enemy she thought he was. It isn't until he gets amnesia, that she gets to know him. It turns out, he liked her and how she treats others. It also helps that she doesn't indiscriminately kill and just goes after the evil of society for her meals.
Nice, quick, lighted-hearted read.

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